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elusion, never in the introduction, of a sermon: when th e conclusion is reached, if the preacher has done the best he could and has been aided by the Holy Spirit, th ere may he no need for apol ogy. B eal Zeal Let us take heed we do not sometimes call th a t zeal for God and His- gospel which is nothing else but our own tem-, pestuous and stormy passion. True zeal is a sweet, heavenly; and gentle flame, which m aketh us active for God;' but always w ithin th e sphere of love. It never calls for fire from heaven to con sume those th a t differ a little from us in th e ir apprehensions. It is like th a t kind of lightning (which philosophers speak of) th a t melts th e sword within, but singeth not the scabbard: it strives to save the soul, bu t h u rteth not the body.—-Cudworth. The Id eal F u n eral Service The following words by Rev. Thomas H. Hanna, concerning the ideal funeral service, it seems to us, are timely: “At the ideal funeral service, no lodge will have charge of th e exercises, p articularly if the man has been a mem ber of th e church. W hatever you may th ink of th e propriety or impropriety of a man belonging to such organiza tions while he is alive, certainly they should relinquish th e ir claim upon him as he sta rts through th e valley of the shadows. Personally, it is very hum il iating to me to be shoved aside in the home or a t th e grave by th e uniformed ‘chaplain’ of some m any-lettered or ganization. But I could swallow th a t as ju st a little pique, if th a t were all. But it is not all. I am th e re as th e rep resentative of the one divine in stitu tion among men, th e Church of the liv ing Christ, to m inister to th e dead. And when these human organizations step in at such a solemn moment, for which even th e ir stou test advocates dare claim no divine authority, they seem to be
elevating themselves to a place level w ith the Church. As an ordained rep resentative of the Church of Christ, I have stood aside tw irling my thumbs while men whose morals I knew were ro tten clashed th e ir swords against the casket or sang songs which so far as the expression of any v ital and distinct Christian sentim ent is concerned m ight be used a t the funeral of the Grand Lama a t Lhassa, or read prayers made ‘for hum anity’s ' sake,' Amen.’ And whatever may have been th e fau lt of the Church in failing to provide w ithin herself th a t which men seem to crave and to find in these organizations, and however worthy the motives of the originators may have been, the impres sion they seem to give by thu s officiat ing as a religious organization, and the impression a g reat many men take, is th a t the lodge is ju st as good as the Church.” Surely it could n o t be out of place for the m inister to call to th e attention of bereaved ones, th e rig h t of the Church in such a case. Monthly Illustrations “Almost Thou P ersuadest Me” ' The following story was often used by Dr. J. W ilbur Chapman, illu strating the thought of a person being almost to th e point of salvation and then lost: The “Royal C harter” had been around th e world and was a t last homeward bound. She had reached Queenstown, and then sailed for Liverpool; tile message was telegraphed to Liverpool th a t she was almost home. Dr. W il liam M. Taylor, a g reat New York preacher, was then in Liverpool as pas to r, and th e wife of the first mate of th e “ Royal C harter” was a member of his church. You may remember th a t th e “ Royal C h arter” never came into Liverpool. An officer of my church told me th a t he waited on the dock all
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